Snow and Chocolate
by MalfoyDebauchery
Summary: Luna warns Blaise about his Muffliewumps and their penchant for chocolates.
1. Muffliewumps & mermaids

Snow, snow, snow.

It fell in thick blankets, covering the Hogwarts grounds completely. The white stuff was captivating in it's swirling patterns and uniqueness. Unfortunately not all of Hogwarts' inhabitants agreed with that.

Blaise Zabini was one such inhabitant. He hated snow. It was wet and sticky and no matter how hard you tried to keep it out it always got your sock wet. He was in a particularly foul mood that Thursday afternoon because he was required to go out in the wretched fluff for his Care of Magical Creatures class. He normally enjoyed the class. The Slytherins were paired with the Ravenclaws for once and they got on rather well academically despite the athletic feud. They were all good about keeping Quidditch issues on the field and out of the classroom. The only person, Blaise suspected, who never mentioned Quidditch at all was Loony Lovegood. He figured she probably had no idea what it even was. She was too engrossed with her "muffliewumps" and what not.

The class was down by the Black Lake today to see how the water creatures dealt with the cold weather. As Blaise traipsed closer to the lake he saw only a few people from the class. He looked at his watch and realized he was early. His frowned only deepened when he saw who all was standing by the lake. Three rather snobbish Ravenclaws stood by a nearby tree while Loony Lovegood balanced on a rock that hung out into the deeper water. She was kneeling close to the water and murmuring something to a mermaid of all things, who had come up from the depths of the lake. The mermaid made soft screeching noises back at Lovegood who laughed and responded in equally strange noises. Blaise figured her father had taught her mermish along with all the other rubbish.

In an attempt to avoid the snobs he stood closer to the rock Loony was on. She looked up at him when he came near and said something in parting to the mermaid who swiftly vanished beneath the icy black waters.

"Hello Zabini." Lovegood said softly as she slowly walked across the rock to the end. She hopped off the end of the rock and landed gracefully beside him. He eyed her, interested. He had never seen Loony look so aware of her surroundings. She turned her big eyes up to him and spoke.

"You should have worn a hat and a scarf. It's very cold outside."

Surprised, he responded with the first thing that came into his head.

"Ah well, I'm afraid something stole my scarf and hat." He hadn't meant to tell her his suspicions about his dorm mates stealing his things in jest. He didn't usually talk to anyone besides Malfoy. It was just his way. So it was odd he actually managed to splurt out a whole sentance to explain.

"I see. Your muffliewumps might be a bit peeved at you. Maybe you could try eating more chocolate?" She nodded at him as if deciding that would help. The girl was off her rocker.

"I'm allergic to chocolate." He lied easily and turned toward Hagrid who had jsut arrived with a gaggle of students behind him. Draco Malfoy came over to stand with them.

"Malfoy." Loony nodded before going to talk to Hagrid. Malfoy eyed her weirdly as she left.

"What in Merlin's balls did she want?" He looked to his best mate curiously.

"Something about eating more chocolate. Did you know she speaks mermish?" Blaise gazed out of the lake, his expression full of disinterest and his tone bored.

"Aren't you trying to cutback on the chocolate intake? No. I'm sure she knows lots of strange things." Malfoy ignored Hagrid as he started to talk about today's lesson.

"Indeed." Zabini left it at that. He stared at the mermaid who had just appeared in the hole in the ice made closer to shore. It was the same one who had been talking to Lovegood earlier. He thought so at least. They looked a bit alike. Hagrid went on to talk about mermaids and how they slept during the winter, much like a bear. How unusual it was for one to be this far up in the lake this late in the season. He said something about the mermaid's name and mentioned the Lovegood family's good relations with mermaids and how this one had agreed to appear before them on Loony's request. He also pointed out the differences in the mermaids skin. Normally it's a sea green or crystal blue. Now it was covered in green and brown algae. The algae, he said, acted as a sort of fur coat and kept them insulated. At the end of the winter they would eat it. It grew only in cold lake waters and was apparently high in nutritional value. After that, Blaise pretty much tuned the half-giant out. He didn't really care much about mermaids.

He vaguely listened when Hagrid explained what the squid did but forgot it almost instantly. He was much to busy thinking that maybe Loony knew more than she let on. He felt around in his bag for the bar of chocolate he ahd bought from the last Hogsmeade trip. He pulled it out and quietly muched on it until it was gone. As he shoved the wrapper into his pocket he saw Loony look at him and smile. He looked to see if Draco had noticed. The pale Slytherin had indeed. He raised an eyebrow at his tan companion but said nothing. Blaise just shrugged and went back to ignoring them all.

That night when Blaise got back from dinner he found his hat and scarf sitting harmlessly on his bed. Maybe Loony was right. He should eat more chocolate.


	2. Wrackspurts & pumpkin juice

Normally on stormy days such as this the students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were perfectly content to enjoy a steaming cup of hot chocolate in lieu of the usual pumpkin juice. Then again Luna Lovegood was never anybody's idea of "normal". Which is why on this particularly rainy day (a Thursday as it were), Luna could be found down in the kitchens enjoying her favorite meal.

Luna was happily munching on a peanut butter and roast beef sandwich on toasted rye bread with a large goblet of pumpkin juice in front of her when Blaise climbed through the portrait hole. He had had a rather interesting time tickling the pear which seemed to be already having a fit of the giggles when he had wandered up to it. Blaise figured someone must have recently gone into the kitchen. When he discovered Lovegood inside halfway finished with her sandwich he figured that it explained everything. When really it explained nothing much at all. The girl was a conundrum to all.

Luna was quite unaware of her silent companion at first, engrossed as she was in enjoying her sandwich. She rarely ever got to eat this particular meal as most students, she found, did not particularly like the combination of peanut butter and roast beef on toasted rye bread. She figured it had something to do with the exceptional amount of wrackspurts running rampant in the castle. Blaise had to clear his throat twice before she noticed him standing nearby the table. When she did finally look at him she smiled that smile that was so odd and yet charming at the same time. Blaise cleared his throat again before speaking.

"Er.. hello there Lovegood. I'm not disturbing your meal I hope?" He couldn't help his proper upbringing which dictated manners above all else. She continued to smile that strange smile.

"Not at all Zabini. I insist you join me." In retrospect it was probably the most unremarkable and normal thing she had ever said to him. Or at all as far as he had heard anyways. So he sat diagonally across from her and looked for the nearest house elf. He was far away enough to not be personal and yet close enough not to be rude.

"I just came for some pumpkin juice and a snack really." He admitted quietly. _There I go again_, he thought, _just pouring out every thought to her._ Why on earth did he feel the need to say every little thing that popped into his head to this girl. His lie about being allergic to chocolate last week had simply come out of thin air. What reason did he have to lie to the likes of her? About chocolate of all things too.

"Do you find that pumpkin juice helps with your infestation of wrackspurts? Or does the infestation make you crave pumpkin juice?" She sounded genuinely curious as she took a sip from her goblet, which he was surprised to see contained the aforementioned beverage. Blaise took a moment to consider his reply as he ordered from the house elf that was suddenly at his side.

"I'll have soup and a pumpkin juice please." He looked at Luna for a long moment. "I don't know." Once again he has said what he truly thought and not some facetious remark.

"Hmmm," she pondered, "in that case I shall have to make a study of it. Would you mind helping me? It wouldn't require much of you. Just coming here every Thursday evening and having a goblet of pumpkin juice. I'd be here of course. I eat most dinners here." She was absentmindedly picking at her sandwich. Her sandwich confused him as well. What on earth was it? Distracted by the sandwich puzzle he found himself agreeing.

"Sure. Unless there's quidditch practice I don't mind." He realized after it was too late. Maybe he could make up some excuse before next Thursday.

"Lovely. I so rarely get a chance to study other students wrackspurts. They usually call me loony and leave it at that. See you next Thursday." She smiled again at him and stood.

"Aren't you going to finish your.. erm, sandwich?" He looked at the half eaten mystery.

"Thank you for your concern but I'm going to the Great Hall. Ginny Weasley usually get upset if I don't meet her there. She likes to make sure I'm eating properly. It must be those muffliewumps I was telling you about. Ginny doesn't eat much chocolate. Says she's watching her weight." Luna said all this calmly and dreamily as if she was commenting on the weather.

"Alright," he said awkwardly.

"See you next Thursday." She waved before climbing out the portrait hall.

"See you..." he called weakly.

"What am I doing?" Blaise asked himself as his food arrived. He ate his meal quietly all the while pondering what the devil a wrackspurt was.

**I know that this was only going to be a oneshot but I was going through some stuff and reread it. I really think this is my favorite story. Luna is just so easy to mold into how I envision her.**

**Maybe more later. :)**


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